All clothing, from jeans to silk dresses, needs more than just regular washing to care for it, and this includes the traditional wool blazer. You can care for a wool blazer by following a few easy steps. Never hand wash or machine wash a wool blazer and make sure that it is properly stored at all times. Finally, always make sure that the blazer is kept in an area that is moth free, as wool is a favorite of moths.

A wool blazer should always be dry cleaned. This will help avoid shrinkage and will also ensure that the blazer maintains its original shape. Wool is a fabric that must be treated with the utmost care, as it easily shrinks. For this reason a blazer should not be washed in water in a washing machine.

For at-home spot removal on a blazer, first try the stain removal product in a small, inconspicuous place on the blazer. This way, if the cleaning agent is too harsh and damages the fabric, the blazer will not be entirely ruined. Using a spot on the inside of the jacket toward the back is generally a good idea.

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When storing a wool blazer, hang it on a hanger. Make sure that the collar and the lapels are straight, because storing them with a bend or a crease can cause permanent damage to the material. If the blazer has been dry cleaned, keep it in the bag from the dry cleaner and tie a knot at the bottom of the bag, as this will prevent moths and other fabric-eating bugs from attacking the fabric. Never fold a blazer, as this will cause unnecessary wrinkling. Even with careful storing techniques, blazers can easily become wrinkled, and wool must be very carefully pressed or steamed when attempting to remove wrinkles. Wool fabric is easily scorched, so using lower temperatures when ironing is highly recommended.

One important way to determine the best way to care for a specific wool blazer is to read the fabric care symbols found on the tag attached to the garment. For example, an iron on the label will indicate that caring for the wool blazer will necessitate ironing. The dots under the symbol of the iron, ranging from one dot to three, tell what temperature the iron should be set at, with one dot suggesting the lowest temperature and three the highest. A line through the symbol of the iron clearly indicates that ironing will damage the garment. The letter X through a darkened triangle warns that bleach cannot be applied to the garment. Bleach will dissolve wool, as wool fibers are a protein. Careful care of a wool blazer will ensure it a long life.

Discuss this Article

Wisedly33Post 2

A friend gave me a wool blazer, and while I love the look of it, it is kind of time-consuming to care for. I couldn't seem to keep the moths at bay with cedar, so I opted for mothballs in the closet, and I also have it cleaned before wearing it before the season.

Not much looks better than well-tailored wool, but even 100 percent silk is easier to take care of. The moths usually leave silk alone.

I will remember to tie the bag closed when I have it cleaned, in hopes that will help keep the moths from feasting on it, as the article mentions.

ScrbblchickPost 1

I have a wool blend blazer and I always do a few things to take good care of it. I hang it on a cedar hanger, and keep cedar blocks in the pockets, inside and outside, during the summer when I'm not wearing it.

Before I wear it for cool weather, I have it cleaned, just to get the cedar smell out, and also to get rid of any moth/larvae/eggs that have taken up residence in it.

I love my blazer, but I'll admit I'd rather have one in something that 's not quite as apt to get eaten by moths, or that has to be dry cleaned. I'd rather be able to throw it in the washer. Oh, well.

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